Bald Peak State Scenic Viewpoint

Infobox park
park= Bald Peak State Scenic Viewpoint


image size=200px
caption=Looking southeast from the park.
type=Public, state
location=Yamhill County, Oregon, United States
coordinates= coord|45|23|41|N|123|03|14|W|type:mountain_region:US
size= 26 acres
opened=
operator=Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department
annual visitors=
status=day use only

Bald Peak State Scenic Viewpoint is a state park located atop Bald Peak located in Yamhill County, Oregon, in the United States. The day use only park offers picnic tables and a hiking trail for views of the Willamette Valley and the Cascade Range. Oregon acquired the 26 acres in 1931 after Yamhill and Washington counties requested a park from the state.

History

Bald Peak was acquired by the state in 1931 after county officials in Washington and Yamhill counties lobbied the state parks commission for a state park for the two counties.Armstrong, Chester H. 1965. "Oregon state parks history, 1917-1963". [Salem, Or.] : Oregon State Highway Dept.] The land was purchased from Samuel Otto on June 4 1931, with the park originally named Bald Peak State Park. During the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps built picnic tables, restrooms, and a parking area at the site. In 1939, the location was considered by the parks department as a memorial to the pioneer women of Oregon.Bannan, Jan Gumprecht. "Oregon State Parks: A Complete Recreation Guide". The Mountaineers Books, 2002.] State officials decided against this location due to the lack of water and its isolated location away from major roads. In 1996, the park was one of over 50 parks that the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department proposed closing due to a state budget deficit that reduced funding for the department. [Green, Ashbel. State may fold tent on some parks. "The Oregonian", June 6 1996.] However, Bald Peak and the other parks remained open after political pressure. [Gold, Matea. Despite reprieve, parks aren't out of the woods yet. "The Oregonian", August 10 1996.]

Details

Bald Peak is on top of the Chehalem Mountains at an elevation of convert|1629|ft|m above sea level, the highest point in the mountain range. [http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_110.php Bald Peak State Scenic Viewpoint.] Oregon State Parks. Retrieved on February 18 2008.] The closest community to the 26 acre park is Laurelwood, Oregon, with the park generally situated between the city of Hillsboro to the north and Newberg to the south near the county boundary line between Yamhill and Washington counties. [Gardner, Fran. A little looping the loop. "The Oregonian", August 22, 1991.] At the park are restrooms, picnic tables, parking, a trail, a forest with Douglas fir trees, but no drinking water. The park offers views of the following mountain peaks in clear weather: Mount Hood, Mount Saint Helens, Mount Jefferson, Mount Adams, and Mount Rainier. The viewpoint also gives panoramas of the Tualatin Valley to the north of the park and the Yamhill Valley to the south, with both valleys being parts of the larger Willamette Valley.

ee also

*List of Oregon state parks

References